Soul Mark
by LethanWolf
Summary: 'But I think I've seen a similar mark before,' Matsumoto said quietly, and Toshiro stilled for just a moment. He wasn't sure what to make of this information so simply snorted at her response and returned to his paperwork. {Soul Mate fic for HitsuRuki Week! YEY!}


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Toshiro could always tell when something was bothering Rangiku. She'd never outright say it, but she showed it in plenty of other ways.

Such as being a downright nuisance.

'Matsumoto,' Toshiro spoke the word into the quiet space of the office. Instantly he could feel her baby blue eyes on him, but her fidgeting stopped. Toshiro took a deep steadying breath and let his eyes sweep the space. The beams of light flitted through the large window, falling upon the well-worn wooden floor. In the couch to the left of his desk, Rangiku lay sprawled, feet up on the table, despite the number of times Toshiro had told her off for this. Her eyes met his briefly and she quickly looked back down at the magazine in her hands, her paperwork lay at the side completely untouched.

'Sorry Captain,' she mumbled, and Toshiro continued to study her face. He'd worked with her for around a hundred years at this point and knew that something was on her mind. If Rangiku wasn't outright saying it, then it meant she wasn't sure how Toshiro would take it. Either she'd done something wrong and was afraid, much like a child avoids their parent but at the same time wishes to get the argument over and done with. Toshiro tilted his head thoughtfully, or maybe she was wanting advice on a matter and wasn't sure if Toshiro would be willing to help. Rangiku had acted this way before for a very similar issue around her dating life.

'Whatever is on your mind,' he said finally placing his brush back into his ink bottle and turning to her, 'please share.'

Rangiku's eyes flickered from her living world magazine and up to his before darting back down again. She was chewing the inside of her lip thoughtfully and it took everything Toshiro had to not lose patience with her.

'Remember the other day… when I accidentally stumbled into the men's changing rooms?' she tentatively started.

Toshiro sighed, he was wondering when this conversation would come up. Rangiku had been drunk and usually in her state of drunk-ness she'd use the small healing springs of the tenth division to cure any potential hangover. It was not what they were strictly meant to be used for, but this didn't make them any less effective.

Rangiku had been so intoxicated that she'd stumbled into the men's side instead of the ladies. Toshiro had been in a state of partial undress. The ice blast he'd sent her way was enough to convince her to leave without saying anything. He'd hoped that maybe she'd have been too drunk to remember the incident. She hadn't seen anything particularly exciting. Toshiro only had his hakama pants on.

'Yes, I remember it,' he took another deep breath, trying to ground himself as he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.

'Well… I um… I saw…' she seemed to be really unsure how to word this. Toshiro's eyes opened quickly and flashed in her direction.

'What did you see?' the note of panic laced his words in a way that caused her to grin nervously.

'Not that,' Rangiku chuckled nervously, 'your… your mark.'

Ah, yes.

The Soul Mark.

When each reaper enters the Seireitei they're given a Soul Mark, somewhere on their bodies. It could take the form of anything from a simple birthmark to an outlandishly detailed mark. The more detailed the mark the higher one's spiritual pressure. The Soul Mark bonds two soul mates. It was said when a soul entered the Seireitei part of it gets split, and latches onto another, those who find someone with the same mark are finding the other part of their soul.

At least this was the theory… Toshiro had only seen a few souls successfully find their soul mates because of how large the population of the undead was. The chances of you finding your soul mate were the same as trying to find 1 grain of sand on the planet.  
It was simpler and easier for those beings with higher spiritual pressure… Byakuya had found Hisana with relative ease. Yoruichi had found Urahara, Ukitake had found Kyoraku and many others had found their soul mates.

Toshiro didn't care for any of it. His mark took the form of an incredibly detailed snowflake right over his heart. It was a snowflake because every single snowflake was different, like a fingerprint and thus no one else would ever have the exact same mark as his.

Toshiro was fine with this, he didn't require another soul to complete him. The entire concept was ludicrous.

The only time he'd ever come close to wanting to settle down was when he saw the genuine joy that Momo had when she thought she'd met her soul mate in Aizen. But the mark turned out to be fake, born out of his manipulation of her, and it put Toshiro right back off the idea again.

'What about my mark?' Toshiro asked, reaching forward to pick his brush back up again now than he knew this conversation wasn't at all interesting.

'Well… it's a snowflake,' she stated.

'Obviously,' he muttered the word as he continued to scribble down some notes.

If the tenth division required one thousand soldiers to work for three days to repair the southern wall, how many would they need for the north?

'Can I see it again?' Rangiku asked.

The north wall was double the size in length and almost a third bigger in height. They had to keep the twelfth division out, somehow right? He scowled at the thought.

'Captain?'

Maybe Head Captain Kyoraku would give him permission to make the wall taller? Toshiro chewed the end of his brush thoughtfully.

'Sir?'

Surely Kyoraku had no idea the size of the wall before? Would he authorise it if Toshiro just put it down? Surely, Kyoraku hated doing paperwork almost as much as Rangiku did.

'Captain!'

Toshiro glanced up and Rangiku frowned at him.

'What is it Matsumoto?' he asked, realising he wasn't getting away with ignoring her.

'Can I see it again?' she asked, an edge of impatience to her voice which had Toshiro oddly satisfied. Now she must understand his frustrating dealing with her.

'See what?'

'Your Soul Mark,' Rangiku audibly sighed this time.

'My-' Toshiro felt his cheeks redden slightly but managed to regain his composure. 'No, you cannot see my mark again Matsumoto. You shouldn't even have seen it in the first place.' He was scowling and Rangiku blinked at him.

'But I think I've seen a similar mark before,' she said quietly, and Toshiro stilled for just a moment. He wasn't sure what to make of this information so simply snorted at her response and returned to his paperwork.

'Matsumoto do you know what form my mark takes?' he asked simply.

'Yes, it was a snowflake right over your-'

'And do you understand the symbolic nature of a snowflake is to be completely unique. No other snowflake like it to ever exist?' He clarified shuffling through the stack of papers for his order form. He would put down a little extra height on the original detailing of the wall, the Head Captain wouldn't notice.

'Yes but Captain-'

'I believe the snowflake was a gift I share with Hyorinmaru, no one else.'

'You're not the only ice wielding Shinigami,' Rangiku said after a moment, her annoyance starting to show on her face. Toshiro stilled, his hands clasped the bit of paper more tightly in his grip as his large teal eyes found hers.

'What do you mean?' he asked and Rangiku let out a breath she'd been holding.

'Rukia also has a snowflake.'

The words faded into the room, the insinuation hanging heavy in the air around them. Toshiro blinked at her, and he could feel Rangiku's eyes searching his for a reaction. She wasn't going to get one. He closed his mouth with a snap and scowled.

'Matsumoto have you been reading those novels again?' he asked and this time it was Rangiku's turn to flush at his words.

'That has nothing to do with-'

'It has everything to do with it,' Toshiro snapped, his voice growing more impatient as it usually did when he had to deal with her nonsense. He took a few steadying breaths before he continued, 'every time you read them you delude yourself into thinking that happy endings have to be about someone finding your soul mate.'

'Well what's your idea of a happy ending?' Rangiku asked, clearly trying to keep the hurt from her voice and failing.

'Peace and quiet,' he said jabbing his brush back into the ink and placing it onto the form.

There was silence after that for a long time. Though Toshiro could still feel her eyes glance up to his face every so often. It irked him, he could clearly see the book protruding from the pages of the magazine she was pretending to read.

'You don't want to find your soul mate?' she asked after a long pause.

'I don't want to go chasing childish fantasies. Stronger men than me have gone insane trying,' he hadn't meant the dig. Rangiku's fingers reached for her wrist and Toshiro instantly felt guilty. He glanced up and saw the moisture glistening in her eyes.

He put his brush down and sighed.

'Matsumoto, I am sorry,' he started but she shook her head.

'No, it's fine,' Rangiku stood quickly and tried to turn away from him before she scrubbed at her cheeks, 'I'll be right back.'

Her voice cracked on the final word as she swept from his office.

Toshiro sighed.

He felt dreadful, he hadn't intended it to come out that way and glanced at the discarded magazine where the book was now clearly visible poking out of it. Toshiro stood up and walked around his desk, picking up both the magazine and the book, careful to mark her place. He put the magazine down on the table and took the book and sat it close to him as he settled back down. He'd go and find her again later and apologise more profusely. Maybe he'd even return her book, that seemed like the only logical way to make up for exactly what he'd said.

As Toshiro tried to work, he found his mind wandering. He disliked upsetting people, particularly women. Call it sexist but being raised by his grandmother he'd been taught to never make a girl cry. Rangiku meant more to him than he could put into words.

After another couple of hours, Toshiro realised he wasn't going to get anymore work done until he set things straight with her. He stood, sheathed Hyorinmaru upon his back and slipped Rangiku's book under his arm.

The barracks were mostly empty so Toshiro could feel more easily for Rangiku's spiritual pressure. She'd supressed it which meant she didn't wish to be found and he'd have to go about it the old fashioned way.

'Have you seen Matsumoto?' he asked one of their seated officers.

'Yes, Captain Hitsugaya sir,' he said with a respectful bow, 'she was heading in the direction of the Seireitei centre, but I can't be sure if she was heading for the first division or not.'

'Thank you,' Toshiro said quickly and sped up. It was likely that Rangiku had run off to her only source of comfort other than himself, and that was either Nanao or Izuru. It could equally be either, given that Izuru could also empathise with her situation, but Nanao understood women emotions better.

Toshiro stood on the roof of the sixth division, wondering if he should continue to his right and head to the third or try Nanao first.

'Captain Hitsugaya?' a familiar voice called, and Toshiro cast his eyes down to see Renji standing with Rukia and Byakuya. Feeling foolish about being caught up on a roof, Toshiro leapt as gracefully as he could to the ground.

'Forgive me,' he bowed respectfully to Byakuya, the other Captain acknowledging it with a nod of his head.

'What are you doing here?' Renji asked and Byakuya glared at him for his tone.

'Captain Hitsugaya is free to walk wherever he wishes Lieutenant, perhaps you'd like to remember your place?' Byakuya scolded him.

Toshiro was used to this by now. Renji, along with several others, had accompanied him to a mission in the world of the living. During the time they'd all seemed to start speaking to him with a bit less formality, all of them except…

'Captain Hitsugaya,' Rukia bowed her head, her hands touching in a way that was common for a woman.

'Lieutenant Kuchiki,' he greeted formally. His eyes swept her, somewhere at the back of his mind he could hear Rangiku's words.

Rukia's mark was also a snowflake.

Collecting himself he returned the gesture.

'Forgive me, Captain Kuchiki,' he said turning his gaze to Byakuya now. 'I was looking for my Lieutenant, have you seen her?'

'No,' Byakuya's brows seemed to pinch in the centre like he was disapproving of losing one's Lieutenant.

'Maybe she's off drinking again,' Renji said, sticking his finger in his ear and Toshiro turned to glare at him. Renji simply looked amused then his jaw slackened, and shock crossed his face. 'Captain Hitsugaya what's that you're holding?'

Toshiro tried to cover the book with the sleeve of his haori, which was a silly mistake because it simply made it look like it was _his _book.

'Nothing,' said firmly, but noticing how all their eyes flashed to the cover.

'Hey, Rukia isn't that the same book you have?' Renji said and Toshiro watched as the young Kuchiki's face seemed to heat and she glared up at her tall friend.

'It belongs to Matsumoto, I was returning it to her,' Toshiro scowled, defending himself.

'Should I borrow your copy too Rukia?' Renji teased, earning himself a sharp punch to the ribs.

'Rukia please do not punch my Lieutenant,' Byakuya scolded but there was barely any bite to his words.

'I wasn't…' Toshiro sighed and realised there was no point.

'Apparently, it's a very _good _book, right Rukia?' Renji was really pushing his luck now and it looked like he wouldn't live to see the end of this day. The flash in both Kuchiki's eyes told Toshiro it was time to depart.

'I'll take my leave, good day,' he felt awkward as he turned away, hearing the argument break out behind him. Toshiro decided it would be safer to head toward the central building. It was further and he was growing more confident that Rangiku would have sought out a female companion for this conversation.

Toshiro could feel Rangiku's spiritual pressure prickle the moment he landed. The young Captain took a few steps towards the polished oak door and knocked.

'Who is it?' the voice of Nanao greeted his ears.

'Captain Hitsugaya, I am looking for my Lieutenant.'

There was a brief pause and then the door opened. Toshiro watched, the stern face of Nanao was the first thing he saw, then the door opened wider onto the main living area that she shared with Head Captain Kyoraku. Toshiro stalled just inside the door, his Lieutenant was there, curled up on the sofa with a cup of tea clutched in her hands. Her eyes looked red, like she'd been crying, and Toshiro felt a stab in his chest. He'd not meant to hurt her, and he hated that he had.

'Captain Hitsugaya,' the upbeat voice of Head Captain Kyoraku sounded and Toshiro whipped around to face him. The older man was grinning down at him and Toshiro felt ten times worse that he'd driven Rangiku into crying in front of their boss.

'Head Captain Kyoraku,' Toshiro bowed respectfully before quickly turning back to Rangiku, 'Matsumoto, I'm sorry.'

Rangiku smiled at him and shook her head, letting out a long breath.

'It wasn't your fault, you didn't mean it like that Toshiro,' she said softly. He bit back the reprimand of using his first time and instead stepped forward with the book.

'I wanted to bring this back to you,' he said quietly, 'I marked your page.'

'Thanks,' Rangiku chuckled nervously and took the book from his hand.

'Oh, I've read that one,' Captain Kyoraku said with a wink at Rangiku, 'very thrilling.'

'It seems to be very popular,' Toshiro said with a frown as he glanced back at the cover. It didn't look like a "thrilling" book. The entire cover was black and on the front was a silver knotted tie.

'Did anyone else see you with it?' Rangiku asked and Toshiro glanced back up at her face, seeing the amusement twinkling behind those eyes.

'Yes, Lieutenant Kuchiki, Lieutenant Abarai and Captain Kuchiki,' he said. There was a collective chuckle from around the room.

'What?' Toshiro asked with a frown.

'Maybe you should give Captain Hitsugaya the book to borrow,' Captain Kyoraku said innocently. Toshiro knew there was a deep joke here that he was missing.

'I don't think it's his style?' Rangiku said with a smirk of her lips. Toshiro frowned and picked the book back up from where Rangiku had placed it on the sofa beside her. He flipped through it. It seemed normal, just a book about a girl meeting a big corporate billionaire and oh- _oh_.

The book was closed with a snap, Toshiro could feel the heat creeping up his face and he heard them all collectively laughing before he replaced the book back down on the table in front of her. Toshiro Hitsugaya lived with very few regrets. Only the ones of any real significance clung to him, the betrayal of Aizen and stabbing Momo.

He was regretting this moment almost as much.

'I'll see you back at the office Matsumoto,' Toshiro said staring at a mark on the table before briefly meeting his Lieutenants gaze. Her eyes were full of mirth, their earlier sadness gone, but the ghost of her tears still lingered in her gaze.

'I'll see you soon Captain,' she said with a fond smile.

Toshiro made his way back to the office, the heat of his embarrassment ebbing away. Head Captain Kyoraku had tried to grab Toshiro on the way out to have a chat about "women" before he left but Toshiro managed to slip away from. The only person he ever spoke to about the topic of dating and the opposite sex was Rangiku Matsumoto.

Many people in the Seireitei often said they were an item, dating in secret but it was just gossip. Matsumoto drove him mad, but they were incredibly good friends. He counted on her more than he cared to admit.

When she finally swung by the office again, Toshiro rose to his feet and bowed low.

'Matsumoto, I'd like to apologise again for my comment,' he said but Rangiku was already shaking her head.

'It's okay Captain. It still hurts,' her fingers traced over the mark on her wrist. He knew it well, a heart with a snake coiled around it. 'I know you didn't mean it, I just wish…'

'Just wish what?' Toshiro folded his hands into the opposite sleeves of his haori as Rangiku leaned against the wall opposite him.

'I wish you could feel it too,' she said with a smile, 'even if you don't believe in a soul mate, I just want you to be happy.'

Toshiro let out a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding and did his best to smile. They'd had this conversation a lot over the decades they'd known each other.

'I am happy,' he said.

Rangiku gave him a sceptical look and Toshiro ducked under her gaze. It was impossible to lie to Rangiku Matsumoto. She had this way of deciphering a lie from a truth. He was at least, being a little truthful. The situation around Momo still tore at his heart, he still hated himself for not figuring everything out sooner when he was meant to be the intelligent one.

Okay, maybe he had a lot of regrets.

'Being with someone is liberating,' she said.

'The book didn't make it sound very _liberating_,' Toshiro said and Rangiku started laughing heartily. He could feel the tips of his ears turning red, but he was pleased he'd managed to make her smile.

'Why is it only me you show this side to?' Rangiku asked with a smirk, 'you're funny!'

'Because only you drive me into madness,' Toshiro slipped onto his chair and signed off the final report with a flourish.

'When was the last time you went on a date?' Rangiku asked.

'A very long time ago,' Toshiro mumbled as he skimmed tomorrows papers.

'Okay, so let's just forget that Rukia has a similar mark to yours, don't you think she's attractive?' Rangiku asked.

Toshiro paused in his work and looked up to consider Rangiku. His thoughts strayed to Rukia and he realised he'd never once looked at her _in that way. _

'I can honestly say I don't know,' he shrugged and Rangiku tried to contain her exasperation.

'Well she is Captain, very, and maybe if you got to know her…' Rangiku said with a smile.

'Matsumoto, please don't try setting me up again,' he sighed.

'Fine,' she caved with a click of her tongue, 'just promise me one thing.'

'If it will get you to stop talking, then I will promise anything,' he glanced back at her.

'Next time you see her, ask her what the book is about,' Rangiku smirked and Toshiro felt his face turning red again.

'I will promise no such thing,' he stuttered.

'Then ask her why she read it? Ask her something personal about herself please, or I'll go insane!'

'Fine,' he sighed in exasperation and leaned back.

There was a beats silence passed between them. Rangiku eventually turned to leave, pausing in the door to the office and turning back.

'You know where you can find me if you ever want to talk, Captain,' she said with a wink and Toshiro didn't dare to think about the insinuation behind that. He would not be entertaining _those _topics with his own Lieutenant. Tips about dating, about what flowers a girl might like, why she says or does something, absolutely. But nothing, nothing like what that damn book contained.

The division was busy over the next few weeks with repairs and Toshiro had managed to put his little embarrassment behind him. He focused on his work as best he could, but something was bothering him.

It felt like Rangiku had planted a seed. Though the seed had not fully started to germinate, there was a niggling sensation, like the sides were about to burst and roots to be planted. Toshiro had found his eyes straying more toward the female officers in his division. He suddenly realised that they had so many more female officers than male officers.

Toshiro would never date an officer from his own division. He was a man of honour and didn't ever want his female officers to feel that was his intent with them. Toshiro wanted to create a safe space for the female recruits where they could join and train and learn without the usual performances of men perving. Which was exactly why the higher the wall between the tenth division and the eleventh the better.

But the Captain would be lying to himself if he said he didn't notice the female officers now. Despite wearing the same uniform, there were so many of them… dark haired, light haired, tall, short, athletic and more rounded like Matsumoto. It unsettled him to notice, it felt like something was changing.

He didn't feel comfortable talking to Rangiku about it just now… because she'd try her best to set him up again and that had been a disaster the previous times. Instead Toshiro decided to visit his old friend and mentor, Ukitake.

Making his way toward the thirteenth division and toward the Captains headquarters, he paused just outside.

The private gardens, shared between the Captain and Lieutenant, featured a solitary figure. Below a blossoming cherry tree, Lieutenant Kuchiki was practicing forms. Her body moved with a lieth grace, her arm clutching her sword circling over her head before slicing through the air. She made the movements look far more beautiful than deadly. Toshiro had never seen another Shinigami move like this while practicing forms.

The blade of Sode no Shirayuki swept under her arm and back up, Rukia's face was impassive. It seemed she was a million miles away and yet her movements drew a sense of complete control. It was captivating to watch. The wind caught the side of her robes, blowing her dark hair in front of her eyes but she made no move to correct it. With lose strands about her face, she turned and completed the next few set of poses.

Toshiro wasn't aware how long he was stood watching her, and it seemed no matter how long she continued her hands, which held the weight of her blade, did not shake. She did not put a foot out of formation, and as she continued, he could see her breathing was steady and even. Rukia Kuchiki had grown. She was not the young soul reaper who had gone missing in the world of the living all those years ago.

'Beautiful isn't she?' a voice spoke behind him and Toshiro almost drew his blade. Spinning around he came face to face with Ukitake who stood smiling knowingly at him.

'Forgive me, Ukitake,' Toshiro replied straightening back up.

Ukitake waved him off, his dark eyes glancing back to where Rukia continued to train.

'I was very impressed the first time I had seen her complete forms, no one can dance quite like Rukia Kuchiki.'

Toshiro turned, watching her once again. He had to agree, he had never seen forms look so beautiful before, and he suddenly realised when Rukia spoke the word "Dance" to Sode no Shirayuki that there was deeper meaning behind them.

'She's dancing with her Zanpakuto,' Toshiro commented quietly.

'The most beautiful Zanpakuto in the Seireitei they say, and who can blame them?' the older man's voice rasped behind Toshiro, but the young Captain continued to study the peaceful expression on Lieutenant Kuchiki's face.

'What brings you here anyway Shiro-chan?' Ukitake asked. The sentiment of his sentence setting the understanding that this was permitted to be more than a formal visit.

Suddenly feeling incredibly shy about the topic, Toshiro glanced up at the older man. Ukitake continued to watch Rukia, allowing Toshiro a few private moments to collect his thoughts.

'Matsumoto has been… putting ideas in my head,' he started, 'ideas that have, manifested.'

'Oh?' Ukitake turned his gaze back to Toshiro, his curiosity piqued.

'I have a question,' Toshiro started, deciding he wasn't quite ready to explain himself just yet.

'Ask away Shiro,' the older man replied softly.

'How did you know you'd met your soul mate in Captain Kyoraku?'

Captain Ukitake considered him for a while. Toshiro felt small under his gaze as the Captain tried to read more than just his words.

'That's hard to say… since I feel you're asking for more than my own personal circumstances. Some souls I have met have said they just _knew _from the moment they spoke to their soul mate. Others, myself included, needed a bit more time to confirm that we'd met ours. Captain Kyoraku was headstrong, stubborn and everything I'd have said I didn't want in a partner… and yet here we are.' The older man smiled sheepishly, and Toshiro smiled fondly back up at him.

'What defined the moment you knew?' Toshiro asked.

'When I saw his mark and saw that it matched mine. Then things changed, after that we became much closer.'

Toshiro nodded and held back the sigh he longed to release. It hadn't really helped him. He'd wished that Ukitake had told him that it would be love at first sight and thus Rukia Kuchiki couldn't possibly bear the same Soul Mark as his because he'd have felt something toward her by now. However it seemed the world of soul mates was far more complicated. Part of the sceptic in Toshiro had to wonder if Ukitake and Kyoraku would ever have ended up together had they never seen each other's marks. If that were the case then was this soul mate thing truly real? Or simply fabricated from belief?

'You're wondering if we merely ended up together because of the deeply embedded belief of the Soul Mark?' Ukitake read his mind and Toshiro let out a low breathy chuckle in response.

'I was actually,' he replied, his voice amused.

'Perhaps the Mark is just the beacon that shines a light to a dock you otherwise would have missed,' Ukitake replied, his own voice reflecting his own amusement.

'That's an interesting way to view it,' Toshiro quirked a brow at the older man.

'Well, I would never have considered Captain Kyoraku in that way otherwise. However once the marks were revealed we started to get to know each other in a way we'd not cared too before and found we had many things in common.

'Our love for literature, our beliefs in the way the Seireitei is run, our understanding of the world around us, there are many things that united us. Then it just… fell into place. For the first time in a long time I felt whole.'

Toshiro had turned away from Ukitake as he spoke, not wishing for the old man to see the flicker of doubt or fear that may cross his face. Ukitake spoke no more and instead the two continued to watch Rukia once again as Toshiro digested his words.

'It all seems so, easy,' Toshiro sighed, when he eventually responded.

'I can assure you it wasn't,' Ukitake said with a laugh, 'there were times I honestly wished to kill him and I am not a violent person, Shiro, you know that.'

Toshiro laughed a little louder watching the way that Rukia's step seemed to falter for a second before correcting itself. Feeling considered he'd distracted her, Toshiro sighed.

'I should go,' he said, suddenly feeling childish for even showing up.

'Was that all that brought you here?' Ukitake asked, his voice was amused again and when Toshiro turned to meet those dark brown eyes they were twinkling knowingly at him.

'Yes,' Toshiro defended himself instantly, yet his body betrayed him. He could feel heat creeping up his neck and out along his cheeks. A knowing smile spread across the older man's face.

'Very well,' he said quietly, 'have a nice night Shiro-Chan.'

Toshiro took a deep breath and stepped back, his eyes flickering once more to Rukia. The sunlight coruscated off the pale skin that was visible to the light. Her jet black hair shone healthily and her arm made a graceful movement with her blade, the speed so quick he was sure she'd have cut herself if she'd been a lower ranked officer. Toshiro recognised the advance steps and stances that gave even himself difficultly to complete, yet Rukia made them look easy.

Wishing he could stay and watch her for much longer, but also aware of Ukitake's knowing gaze still fixed upon his features, Toshiro bowed and finally turned to leave.

He found walking away a lot more difficult than it ought to be and even when he got to the gate at the end of the grounds, he couldn't help but turned and cast a final gaze in her direction.

In the setting, she looked more powerful than anyone had a right to look and Toshiro wished with all his might that maybe she'd noticed him there… that maybe she'd taken notice of him at all.

Just as he was about to turn the corner, her eyes flickered and locked onto his. Toshiro felt his stomach lurch, but then he was around the corner and she was out of sight.

The problem was… Toshiro didn't know where to start? Where exactly did the Universe expect him to go from here? He could hardly start sending her flowers when they'd never even had a genuine proper conversation that wasn't about work. He couldn't ask her out, for the same reason and he also could hardly rock up and explain that his Lieutenant has seen her naked and seen her Soul Mark.

The Universe seemed to have its own plans for him, and it seemed that his Lieutenant couldn't stop herself from meddling in his private affairs.

Matsumoto had obviously spotted how he behaved when, a few days later, Rukia came to deliver some paperwork to him.

'Come in,' Toshiro sighed. His eyes were starting to grow wary from the constant reading of documents and he welcomed the distraction. Rukia stepped into his office, illuminated from behind by the light of a full moon. The sight was fleeting, before she closed the door, but it was still enough to steal Toshiro's entire breath.

The woman in question didn't seem to have noticed at all, the tip of a long white tube was sticking from her lips as she wandered over to his desk. Those intense violet eyes were staring down at the paperwork in her hand as she flicked through a few pages.

'Good evening Captain Hitsugaya,' she greeted formally, tearing her eyes away from the appropriate page to offer him a small bow. Toshiro felt like someone and glued his tongue to the roof of his mouth. 'I have some paperwork for you to sign.'

Her voice was slurred more than usual, the feminine notes lost in the lilt.

When Toshiro didn't respond right away, Rukia quirked a brow at him and brought her hand up to her mouth. She pulled on the white tube and the lollypop fell from her lips.

'Captain?' she asked, the usual feminine note returning to her voice. Toshiro blinked dumbly at her, feeling heat rising up his neck again.

Her hair had grown. How had he not noticed that before?

'Yes,' he said quickly, trying to remember what she'd even said to him.

'Yes?' Rukia asked, a note of amusement in her voice.

'Yes,' he cleared his throat, his eyes flickering across the room to where his Lieutenant, who had been pretending to nap, was now perched wide awake and watching him curiously. 'Just leave them on my desk.'

'Alrighty-roo,' she shrugged and popped the lollypop back in her mouth, using the hand to pull the documents from her arm and place them down in front of him. When she leaned over to do so, the cotton of her shihakusho slipped and revealed pale skin below. Toshiro quickly cast his gaze down to the paper now sitting on his desk. He was feeling much hotter around the neck and as she straightened back up he caught a faint scent of perfume. It was pleasant, distant and complimented her unlike the suffocating kind that Matsumoto usually drowned herself in.

'Just bring them back when you're done, Captain,' Rukia slurred at him, bowing for a second before turning on her heel.

Before she could leave however-

'Rukia,' Rangiku called, and sensing his instant demise, Toshiro quickly glanced up at his Lieutenant.

'You should stay and chat to Toshiro,' she said casually as she stood up to stretch, 'you two have so much in common.'

Trying to tell her to shut up with glares alone didn't seem to be working.

'We do?' Rukia asked, clearly confused. There was a hint of amusement in her voice, as if she too, were used to Rangiku's antics.

'Yeah,' Rangiku smirked at Toshiro as she picked up her bag, 'you both have the same Soul Mark after all… bye.'

After dropping that absolute bomb shell on the two tiny souls, Rangiku fled the scene. Toshiro spluttered after his Lieutenant and Rukia stood frozen, rooted to the spot with her back turned to Toshiro.

'Lieutenant!' Toshiro demanded, but she'd already fled from the office and Toshiro could say nothing else that would get her back. He stood in the silent aftermath of the Rangiku Destruction and felt like his heart was going to pump its way up his throat.

'W-what?' Rukia turned to glance at Toshiro, her eyes wide with confusion and fear. Those were two emotions he wished he'd never see in her eyes. Flinching at the sight, Toshiro tried to rectify the situation.

'Nothing,' he said quickly, 'ignore her.'

But he could see it was too late. The damage had already been done. Rukia's eyes were considering him, looking at him with judgement and Toshiro straightened himself up to his full height. He met her gaze for a second only to glance down at the paperwork she'd left on the desk. His heart was hammering erratically in his chest.

'What shape does your Soul Mark take?' she asked.

Rukia's voice had returned to normal and when Toshiro glanced up, she'd taken the lollypop out of her mouth. He swallowed, but he could tell from the steadfast of her gaze that he wasn't getting out of this.

'A snowflake,' he admitted and watched the shock cross her features. The documents in her hands slipped and fell in a mess. Toshiro was around the side of the desk in a heartbeat, stooping to help her pick them back up. They worked in silence for a few seconds, both needing the time to digest how things had played out.

He reached over to pick up a piece of paper and felt his fingertips graze the back of her hand as she reached for the same piece. Toshiro yanked his hand away as if she'd burned him and felt the heat rising in his cheeks at the cliché moment. Rukia turned to look at him but he refused to meet her gaze, instead he stood up and she joined him.

'Sorry,' Toshiro sighed handing the paper over to her.

'Where is your mark?' Rukia asked. Toshiro took a step back, aware their proximity was too close. Her deep purple eyes were watching him curiously and Toshiro cleared his throat.

'On my chest,' he said.

'Can I see it?' she asked without thinking and Toshiro spluttered.

'I-I don't really think that's appropriate do you Lieutenant?' he asked.

'Appropriate,' she scoffed the word, 'there's nothing appropriate about this situation. Aren't you curious? Don't you want to _know?' _

Toshiro studied her. Rukia held his gaze, her face so full of determination and pride and he had to relent a little. She was an incredibly attractive woman and he was only now appreciating her beauty.

'I suppose,' he spoke quietly.

'Only issue is,' Rukia made a face and Toshiro noticed, with amusement, that it was her turn to blush, 'I can't exactly see mine to compare.'

'Ah,' Toshiro said, not wanting to admit that Rangiku had told him exactly where her mark was.

Rukia seemed to be doing some fast thinking, her foot tapping on the ground and her eyes casting around the office. She seemed to make her mind up and settle on something because she nodded her head and met his gaze again, this time looking even more determined.

'I have an idea, but we can't do it here,' Rukia jerked her head at the office. Toshiro watched in bewilderment as she crossed the space, placed the paperwork that had been in her arms on his desk then threw her lollypop into the trash. 'How far away do you live?'

'What?' Toshiro asked obtusely.

'How far away do you live?' Rukia repeated, giving him a suffering looking.

'Just around, the corner,' Toshiro frowned and Rukia nodded at him.

'Let's go there,' she replied, and Toshiro blinked at her.

'Lieutenant I really don't think it's appropriate-'

'Look if we don't have matching snowflakes then we can both move on and pretend nothing happened, but if they do match isn't it worth exploring?' she asked boldly.

Toshiro tried his best to refrain from the thing that had been threatening him from the moment she walked in. Giving in, his eyes raked over her body. She had indeed grown over the years, filled out and the way her raven coloured hair framed her beautiful pale face gave her a kind of beauty, so few souls had.

_Worth exploring indeed. _

Toshiro had to bury those thoughts quickly before they escalated, and he sighed.

'Very well,' he folded his arms into the opposite sleeves of his haori.

Rukia's brows twitched at his stance and it took Toshiro a moment to realise that he'd probably just done a perfect impersonation of her brother. He quickly pulled his arms from his sleeves and with a sigh, jerked his head in the direction of the door. This may turn out to be a false lead, the snowflakes adorned on their bodies could be the polar opposites of each other and this would never amount to anything, but if it did, he didn't want Rukia to think he was anything like her brother.

The two souls made their way out of the office. Toshiro locked the office door for good measure. He couldn't see Matsumoto returning. They made their way down the wooden balcony of the building before reaching the steps that carried them to the street below. Rukia seemed to be deep in thought and Toshiro didn't wish to disturb those thoughts, at least not right now.

He wasn't exactly sure what she had planned. He could make an educated guess and it involved mirrors, but Toshiro only had one and it was in his bathroom. They rounded a corner and Rukia let Toshiro slip ahead of her. The Captain led the way until he was stopped outside a gate which he unlocked with a key to grant them entrance to the grounds. These grounds he shared with Matsumoto, for better and for worse it seemed.

His Lieutenant would often just knock on his kitchen window and demand tea. Toshiro being the man he was, already had the pot ready for her. They'd developed a close bond over the years and he even knew what time to expect her at on the weekends. The grounds were not as well kept as he imagined the Kuchiki grounds to be, but in the dark it looked better by the moonlight. Several twinkling fairy lights had been strung around various trees and objects by Matsumoto. They glinted, giving a warming glow as the colder moonlight flooded down on the grass. The bubbling of their fountain feature could be heard but not seen from where they stood and Toshiro stepped ahead of Rukia once again to lead them in the direction of the smaller of the two houses.

'I thought the Captain occupied the largest house?' Rukia asked as she followed behind him, her voice sounded uncertain.

'Unless that Captain has Matsumoto as a Lieutenant,' Toshiro sighed, and he heard Rukia give a breathy chuckle behind him. The sound sent a twisting sensation through his middle and he focused on unlocking his door and stepping aside to let her in.

Rukia stepped into his hallway, removing her warji and following his lead as he led her into the sitting area.

'So um,' Toshiro hesitated as he watched her glance around. He felt almost a little exposed, taking her into his home without warning. He'd not had time to clean and several books lay sprawled over the desk. Generally, he kept a very tidy living environment but when he was engrossed in a book series, he didn't tidy as often as he should.

Rukia's eyes were wide, taking the space in as she cast her gaze around. Her eyes loitered on the books, on the empty teacup sitting on a coaster on the small wooden table, then drifted over to the thin plaid throw that had been a gift from Rangiku. Though he never got cold, she'd use it anytime she came to visit.

Toshiro realised he probably spent too much time with his Lieutenant and hoped that Rukia wouldn't ask him too many questions about their relationship because it was a complex one. He thought he'd probably struggle to get the rights words for it.

'Did you want a cup of tea?' Toshiro asked tentatively because he couldn't think of anything else worth asking.

'I don't want to impose,' Rukia started, but she caught the quirk of his brow and an uncomfortable giggle seemed to bubble at the back of her throat.

She'd already demanded entrance to his home and tore him from his office and his work. A cup of tea was no more imposing than she'd already been.

'A cup of tea would be nice thank you,' Rukia replied instead with a low bow of her head. Toshiro resisted the urge to laugh at her and turned to hide his amusement. Making a cup of tea kept his hands busy and his mind focused. He had never felt so much fear and apprehension at a situation before.

Rukia perched herself precariously on the edge of his couch and continued to look around. She looked so much smaller and shyer than the woman who had come into his office with the lollypop hanging from her mouth half an hour or so ago. He realised that there were many different faucets to her personality that he'd never noticed before. Much like his Lieutenant who he had always found boisterous and annoying but turned out to be one of the most caring and compassionate people he'd ever had the pleasure of working with.

Toshiro finished making the tea. He placed the cups onto a tray and walked over toward the table. He placed the tray down in front of Rukia who proceeded to put a significant number of sugar cubes in her cup. The young Kuchiki seemed to be his opposite in every way and yet he found himself staring as she brought the porcelain cup up to her lips and took a drink.

'Was there something particular you wanted to do?' he asked curiously, not having touched his own tea which sat on the table in front of him. A beautiful rosy pink dusted her pale cheeks and she brought a hand up to cover her face.

Toshiro had never seen a woman embarrassed like this before. Rangiku never blushed around him and he'd never spent much time around any of the other girls to notice things like this. Rukia's blush was almost… intimate and it made him nervous for what she had planned.

'Maybe this wasn't a good idea,' she mumbled.

'What was your idea, maybe I can help?' he offered, leaning over to finally take a sip of his own tea.

'I was going to show you my Soul Mark so you could compare it against your own,' she mumbled into her hands.

Toshiro almost spat the tea back out as he began to splutter. Rukia quickly glanced around, her embarrassment forgotten in her alarm. He quickly recovered himself, feeling the heat rise in his own cheeks now. Rangiku had said that it was on her… that it was…

'I thought you said it was somewhere you couldn't see?' he tried to feel out the situation.

'Yes…' she groaned the word, 'never mind, this was stupid, I thought I could do this but I can't.'

'Rukia,' he spoke her name and she started and blinked at him. He hadn't used her title or her last name like he normally would. Perhaps it was the male hormones chugging through his system, perhaps it was the lonely part of him daring him to be brave but Toshiro decided to take a bit of a leap of faith.

'You could cover everything but your Soul Mark?' he offered as she blinked dumbly at him. 'Use my room, use the covers, I promise it will only be the Mark that I look at.'

Rukia still seemed to be blinking dumbly at him as he spoke, still completely caught by surprise from the use of her first name. The two souls sat there, staring at each other before Rukia finally seemed to deflate and nod.

'Yeah okay, that's a better idea.'

This was honestly insane. How Rukia had ended up here… in Captain Hitsugaya's bedroom of all places, taking her clothes off was honestly beyond her. If Byakuya ever found out... Rukia shuddered and tried to collect herself. The Captain had come into the room first to ensure that everything was tidy and Rukia tried her best not to guess what that insinuated. She wondered if he had things in the room he was ashamed of, maybe a book or two? Perhaps he'd borrowed that book from Rangiku after all?

Rukia cast her eyes around the space as she unclipped Sode No Shirayuki from around her waist and placed her at the side of his bed. The room was tidy and fresh, she could smell him clearly in the small space, his scent was much cleaner than most male room's she'd been in previously. However that knowledge didn't make her feel any better. She groaned at herself and cursed at the situation as she pulled her obi off and pulled her hakama pants down. It didn't make her feel comfortable, in fact it felt lumpy and awkward and she struggled to arrange herself in a way that only showed off the bit of skin she actually wanted him to see.

'Is everything okay?' his voice sounded deeper through the door as he waited on her calling him in.

This was so fucking awkward.

'Yes, just give me a few minutes,' Rukia sighed and made the executive decision that it all had to come off. Folding everything up and putting it on the bottom of his bed, she found it was easier to arrange herself in the covers without feeling like a hospital patient about to be examined by a doctor. In this position she was much more exposed but it felt more sexual, like a lover exposing themselves...

However she looked at it though, it felt awkward, so she was picking the lesser of two evils.

Rukia could hear the nervous padding of feet just outside the door. She buried her face into his pillow, tried to ground herself and called out for him to enter.

Rukia tried to think about nothing but the comforting smell of his clean sheets, the thought of him ironing his pillowcases and bedsheets to take her mind off the situation. His covers were wrapped protectively around her torso and legs, the only part of her exposed to the room was the right side of her ass cheek. Rukia was a classy enough woman that she'd arranged the covers without showing much else off, but that still didn't stop her face burning in embarrassment when she heard the door creek open and heard him pause in the doorway. Rukia wasn't sure if she'd ever wanted to read someone's mind before, but quickly thought better of it. He probably thought she was some kind of tramp who took her clothes off in as many situations as she could.

Rukia suddenly regretted the choice of removing all her clothing, she may have felt less stupid but she also felt much more exposed.

The creaking of his floorboards told her that he was walking over towards the bed. Rukia turned her head and peaked at him from the corner of her eye. It seemed like he was fighting with himself, his eyes were trained in on the Soul Mark exposed to him, but the location was making heat creep up his neck and along those perfectly high cheekbones.

She watched in wonder as he slipped off his Captain's haori and placed it to the side. Seeing Toshiro Hitsugaya in his black shihakusho only was disorientating at first. Then he slipped the shoulder down and Rukia actually raised her head and turned to see more. There on his chest, directly over his heart was an icy looking Soul Mark.

Captain Hitsugaya's eyes stayed a little longer than was necessary on Rukia's exposed flesh before flickering down to his own and back again.

'Well?' Rukia asked.

'I'm trying to count, hold on,' he replied, leaning over her and getting a much closer look than was appropriate. Rukia groaned and let her head fall back into his pillow, the suspense was killing her. He was so close to her flesh she could feel his cool breath across her skin. It caused an involuntary shudder down her spine.

'Are you cold?' the Captain asked, an air of amusement to his voice.

'No,' she lied smoothly.

The chuckle he let off indicated that he didn't believe her. Instead there was silence and nothing more was said. Rukia counted the number of breaths against her flesh, trying to ground her own breathing as best she could.

'I think…' he said after a while and she felt her heart beating wildly in her chest, 'I think they match.'

'What!?' Rukia sat up so quick the room spun. She clutched his pillow to her front and tried to twist around to see but the covers had slid down her back covering her mark entirely from view, meanwhile exposing the top of her back.

Captain Hitsugaya stood up and quickly diverted his eyes, clearing his throat.

'I think so,' he spoke softly and Rukia cursed, turning and pulling the cover back to reveal a little more than she'd have liked trying to see.

'I hate where it is,' Rukia groaned in frustration. Captain Hitsugaya made a noise and then quickly covered it.

'I have a mirror in my bathroom,' he said and Rukia gazed at him. He was doing incredibly well to keep his eyes on her eyes and not let them wander.

'How am I meant to get through there naked?' she asked.

Captain Hitsugaya spluttered a little then glanced around.

'Just, just take my covers?' he offered.

'Fine,' Rukia pulled the covers up over herself. Just like Rukia, Captain Hitsugaya slept with a very thin sheet, which made it easy to move with. She wrapped herself as best she could and he led her through toward the bathroom. There was indeed one mirror in there but it was at face height and Rukia sighed in disappointment.

'Maybe if I got a box from downstairs,' his voice was dripping with amusement and Rukia turned the full force of her eyes on him. His thin lips were pulled back to reveal pearly white teeth and her eyes fell to his lips for a second as he turned to leave.

'You could just lift me,' Rukia sighed and glanced back at the mirror, this was getting beyond ridiculous now but she just wanted to see this damn Mark of hers more than ever.

'I really don't think that's appropriate, Lieutenant,' the Captains voice sounded.

'How many times have you said that to me today,' Rukia giggled nervously at the situation. She felt a little ashamed of herself for ending up in such a position but she just wanted to see her own Mark.

Captain Hitsugaya seemed to be battling with himself before sighing deeply and stepping forward. He reached down and circled his arms around her legs lifting her into the air. Rukia placed a hand on his shoulder to steady herself and tried to pull back the covers to take a look, but she was now twisted in them and they wouldn't come free. She let out a groan of frustration.

'I'll get something for you to stand on instead,' the Captain said, Rukia wriggled in his arms so she was facing him. His eyes were just inches from hers and she'd never been this close to them before, they were wide and a deep beautiful shade of teal, framed with thick lashes.

'Wow,' she mumbled and his mouth parted a little at their proximity. Rukia could feel the heat of his body through the thin sheet that separated them and put her other hand on his chest to push herself away.

'Sorry,' he mumbled, turning to put her down, but his feet caught in the covers and they both tumbled to the floor. Captain Hitsugaya landed with a stomach churning _crack_ against the tiled floor and Rukia landed on top of him.

'Captain?' Rukia asked frantically, sitting up and lifting her hand to his head, 'are you okay?'

'Fine,' he gritted his teeth against the flash of pain and then his eyes were open and on hers again. He blinked in confusion for a few seconds before his eyes travelled lower. The covers were splayed between them, her legs on either side of his hips and very little left to the imagination from her position.

Toshiro's mouth fell open slightly, but his eyes didn't move away fast enough. Rukia realised with a shudder that she liked being looked at, the way his eyes greedily took her in, like she was the first naked female he'd ever seen. The whole moment couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds before Rukia was pulling the covers back around herself and sitting back on his hips.

'F-forgive me,' he groaned as he tried to sit up.

'For what? I believe I am the one at fault for us being down here.' Rukia said, feeling a flush of control and arousal down her spine. She'd always thought she'd be shy if she ever bared herself to a man, but it turned out to have the opposite effect.

Beneath her she could feel the heat of him through his hakama pants and she rocked herself to gain momentum to stand up without the use of her hands. He hissed and fell back down against the tiles.

'Captain?' Rukia asked, paused in the art of getting up.

'Sorry!' he barked again, his entire face flushing a beautiful shade of red, 'sorry, please don't, don't do that.'

Rukia never thought she'd ever see the day that Captain Hitsugaya would be flustered and embarrassed but here she was.

'What did I do?' Rukia asked, her brows furrowing in confusion as she watched him throw an arm across his face.

He made an undisclosed noise at the back of his throat and Rukia tried to stand up again. The sound sent another shiver down her spine, but she made it to her feet and stepped away from him with the covers wrapped around herself.

Captain Hitsugaya stood up so fast it made her dizzy, he seemed to be refusing to look at her as he fixed his uniform.

'I'm sorry Captain,' Rukia sighed, realising that she'd imposed herself completely on him.

'It's not your fault, give me a minute,' he said before taking a deep breath. He moved so fast Rukia didn't have time to catch it before he was gone from the room.

'Captain?' Rukia called after him, down the hall.

She felt awful, he was obviously too polite to deny her requests and Rukia wished there were an easier way for them to know if the Soul Marks matched. He'd sounded pretty convinced which was probably why he'd gone through with all her shenanigans that day, but Rukia had to see it for herself too.

A few minutes passed and Captain Hitsugaya did not return, so Rukia dragged her feet back into his room and proceeded to start putting her clothes back on. She just finished sliding her arms through her black kosode when his voice called out to her.

'Lieutenant?' he asked, his voice having come from the bathroom.

'Through here,' she winced at the formality in his voice and pulled the kosode shut as he walked into the room.

'I have a better idea,' he held up a small rectangular device in his hands and Rukia recognised it instantly as a smartphone.

'Where did you get that?' she asked astonished.

'Matsumoto gave it to me for my last birthday but I kept it locked downstairs because I was convinced she was using it to spy on me.' He sighed and gave the object a small glare.

Rukia giggled and held her hand out for it. She didn't want to sound patronising by explaining that it was almost impossible for Rangiku to do that. He slotted the device into her hand and Rukia turned it on with ease. She'd used these smart phones while she was stranded in the World of the Living. The screen lit up white and the Captain looked eagerly over her shoulder as it came to life.

Accessing the camera app was easy but convincing Captain Hitsguaya to take a photo of her was not.

'Absolutely not,' he said, his face burning and his lips pulled down into a scowl.

'We can delete it after,' Rukia sighed in exasperation.

'That's completely perverted Lieutenant, what would people think of me?' he asked.

'People won't know, only you and I and let's face it, I'm not going to tell anyone,' Rukia barely resisted rolling her eyes. 'People do far worse than this in the Seireitei.'

'I don't think I want to know,' he groaned as he tried to steady the device in his hand and get a feel for using it.

'You already do, think about that book Rangiku let you borrow,' she said and watched as he spluttered again.

'That wasn't, I didn't- I had no idea! I was returning it-' he glared when he realised she was laughing at him.

'Sorry Captain,' she grinned, 'but honestly this is nothing compared to what other souls get up to when the doors are shut.'

'Fine,' he grumbled, accepting his fate, 'turn around and bend over.'

That was all it took for Rukia to collapse on his bed in a fit of giggles.

'What did I do now?' Captain Hitsugaya asked sounding genuinely annoyed.

'N-nothing,' she pursed her lips and tried to do as she was told. She rolled onto her side and bent over the bed. Glancing back, Rukia could see the heat climbing his face again as the realisation of what he'd asked her to do, sunk in.

She resisted cooing at how cute his innocence was. Then raised her hand and pushed her hakama pants down to reveal the Soul Mark to him.

The entire ordeal ended in more giggles when Rukia realised he was trying to take the picture with his eyes closed.

'I'm trying to be a gentleman,' he barked at her.

'I am so sorry Captain,' Rukia pursed her lips, 'I don't mean to keep laughing at you, it's just well… Rangiku calls you a prude and I didn't believe her before.'

'Would you rather I was asking for you to take all your clothes off?' he grumbled.

'Well, that's a whole different conversation,' Rukia flashed him a grin and he sighed.

'I can't tell if you're flirting with me on purpose or making fun of me,' he held the camera up again but Rukia spotted the genuine emotion there and frowned.

'I'm sorry,' Rukia replied. She hadn't meant to make him think she was making fun of him. 'You have my permission to look.'

She lowered the pants again and this time he sighed, keeping his eyes open she heard the click of the camera sounding.

'Thank you,' she said standing up and turning to eagerly see the picture. It actually wasn't bad, the camera's focus had stopped it from blurring and though the lighting could have been better Rukia was genuinely happy to see her Soul Mark.

'You're welcome,' he mumbled before pulling the front of his uniform free and flashing his own Mark at her. Rukia stared, a little longer than was necessary at his exposed chest. The muscles were defined, covered in battle scars but very much present.

'Lieutenant?' he asked, this time it was his turn to sound self conscious and Rukia quickly smiled at him, bringing the phone up to compare it to the mark on his chest.

Rukia could tell from first glance, that they were a match.

'Well,' she said, feeling the shock wash over her.

'Do you think they match too?' he asked and Rukia glanced up into his face, seeing him differently for the first time. Instead of looking at the face of a Captain of the 13th court guard squad, she was looking into the face of her potential lover.

'Yeah,' she said weakly, swallowing, 'though it's so obvious I don't know what took you so long.'

At once the colour was climbing back up his neck and out across his face again.

'I wanted to be sure,' he mumbled.

'Sure,' Rukia smirked, 'next to that and telling me to "bend over" I'm beginning to think you're not a prude at all.'

Captain Hitsugaya glared at her and she giggled, tying her obi sash to secure her uniform back in place, she stood up from her spot on the bed.

'And for the record,' she grinned up into that perfect porcelain face, 'I was flirting with you.'

'Oh,' he let a breath blow out between them, 'I guess we have a lot of catching up to do then?'

'I suppose we do,' Rukia smiled. 'Where would you like to start?'

'What was that book about' Toshiro asked.

**Hopefully you all enjoyed that! Please come and check out our discord server and don't forget to leave a comment below if you enjoyed it. **

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